Manure Problems

[plantmark]

And here I have Flower Sprout which are doing OK.

[Bigmallly]

It's not rotted down enough Mark & is burning the plants. As an emergency plan what I would do is get a bag of compost, lift the affected plants one at a time, fill the planting hole with MPC & replant. This will hopefully save the plants & give more time for the manure to decompose without having to move it all again.

[plantmark]

It's not rotted down enough Mark & is burning the plants. As an emergency plan what I would do is get a bag of compost, lift the affected plants one at a time, fill the planting hole with MPC & replant. This will hopefully save the plants & give more time for the manure to decompose without having to move it all again.

Thanks for that. I must admit it does look rather brown. I was told that it is 3 years old, but then I was also told that there is no wood chip in it and there is. Sadly as I am no expert on manure (yet) I did not recognize the wood chip until too late. Is there a test that I can do to determine when it is ok to use? What is it in fresh manure that causes the problem? For example PH level? Will it rot down while spread?
Would it be worth testing for Nitrogen levels?
If it is not rotted down how could we explain the fair results for Flower Sprouts? I also have Celeriac which is looking ok and spuds and tomatoes.
I think affected plants are too far gone now to rescue so I will crack on and replace. I wont be beaten!

[Martin H]

I think affected plants are too far gone now to rescue so I will crack on and replace. I wont be beaten!

The good thing is, assuming the problem is too-rich soil, the problem will have solved itself by the end of the season.

Good luck!

[Bigmallly]

Good luck Mark, if you are planting new stuff do as I said earlier & fill the planting hole with MPC.

[Bigmallly]

A bit of info:

Using manure: Manures differ from each other because of their source, their age, how they were stored (piled, spread, turned over or not), and the animal bedding material, which may be mixed in. For that reason it is difficult to provide precise guidance about how long manure should be aged before use, or how much to use.

Composting is the safest way to make the most of manure's nutritional potential - if the logistics of making and hauling compost are viable. For direct use in the garden, first aging manure for 6 months is a good rule of thumb. Many farmers and gardeners spread fresh manure in the fall or winter, and till or turn it in at spring planting time.

When manure is spread in the spring, even if aged, it is safest to wait for at least one month before planting crops, since the microbial activity it stimulates may interfere with seed germination or plant growth before that time.

When composted manure is spread directly over the soil, it is helpful to add about 40 lbs. per 100 square feet, turned into the top 6 to 9 inches. Aged manure is often used in home vegetable gardens as a side-dressing, or placed directly in holes under the soil where vine crops such as pumpkins are planted.

Manure tea, made by soaking bags of manure in tubs of water, is a nutrient-rich liquid that is full of microbial life. It is another way to use manure as a fertilizer, whether it is poured on the leaves of plants (called foliar feed) or into the soil.

[Bigmallly]

A bit more info...........

Problems with manure:
While it is one of the most readily available forms of organic matter and fertilization for many gardeners, manure can present some problems.
The relatively high nitrogen content makes manure extremely valuable in composting, where it activates soil bacteria and contributes to rapid decomposition of organic matter. But, as a direct soil amendment, that same high nitrogen content can be a deficit. Fresh, raw, or hot manure activates and builds up soil microbial activity to the extent that the nutrients volatilize, or burn up, before plants can use them.

Fresh manure also can damage plant tissue and kill seedlings. An excessive amount of soil nitrogen can pro-duce plants with a high nitrate con-tent. These high nitrate levels are not only potentially harmful to humans; they also are more attractive to pests than crops grown with less nitrogen, and do not store as well either.

Manure also is notorious for adding undigested weed seeds to the garden, particularly from horses and other animals that eat hay. Composting in a hot system (when the pile reaches over 155 degrees F.) destroys most weed seeds, but many composting systems are inexact and seeds can come through. For that reason, those who use manure usually plan on weed-control techniques such as mulching, interplanting (growing cover crops between rows), mechanical or hand-weeding, or herbicides in some situations.

Particularly in agriculture, manure use can pose pollution problems when rain or irrigation systems carry nitrogen from the fields before it is used by plants. Nitrogen from manure or synthetic fertilizers has been identified in New York State as a pollutant found in groundwater.

Fresh manure must be used with caution in the garden because it may contain pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. Although the chance of contamination is slim, severe sickness and even death may occur if contaminated produce is eaten. To be safe, either compost your manure or apply it in the fall after harvest. Wash your hands after handling manure and try to leave at least 120 days between application of fresh manure and harvest of a crop.

[Guest]

If it is in a raised bed just top with soil and use as a hot bed. Have a read of Jack Firsts book if you use the library. There is a utoob vid but I don't think it is as helpful to your situation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrIldkX7nHc

[Elfeda]

when you mulched it heavily at this time of year, need as much of watering IMO.I do not see any problems with menure, but shrinking spinach isn't a symptom of dryness in the topsoil?

[burnie]

Hope you sort out your plot, I fear this year will be a write off. I have used horse dung in the past, but even though I have access to as much as I want nearby and for free, I don't use it anymore. Compost, leaf mould and a small amount of cow dung that I have stored for a year myself before use is what goes in my raised beds.

[Snoop Puss]

I'd be interested to know what the outcome was too.

The problem I have with manure is insect grubs. When I saw your photo of your patch of lettuce with most looking very healthy but a small number in proximity looking the worse for wear, my first thought was pest damage.